Am I missing it or is Bush's plan for continuing US control of Iraq being largely ignored by the media, Democrats, and even progressive and liberal internet blogs? Some Congress members are questioning the June 30 hand-over date as though they do not realize this power transfer exists in name only. What's going on?
While I don't know what's going on with Congress members who appear unaware the power transfer is only nominal, I do want to provide a link to My Favorite Article for Today: "Bush's 'Transfer of Power' Gambit" by Jack A. Smith, Online Asia Times. He offers some keen insight into what I believe is going on with the Bush administration.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FD23Ak02.html
Smith maintains the White House is conspiring to maintain substantial military, political and economic power in the war-torn country following a deeply suspect "transfer of sovereign power" to an interim Iraqi government on June 30.
He says the US must execute three complex maneuvers to accomplish its goal:
- Inducing the United Nations to become an active partner in Iraq, providing the White House with respectable support and camouflage for its endeavors in exchange for the appearance of shared authority.
- Taking measures to ensure that a huge American occupation force remains in the country, and that Washington will exercise great influence over the new permanent government and Iraq's economy by establishing a virtual parallel regime of its own in Baghdad.
- Containing the resistance by any means necessary - from massive retaliation against the Sunni fighters and their new allies led by Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, to making deals with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the principal leader of the majority Shi'ite population. The entire plan may fail unless the resistance is destroyed or reduced to occasional attacks against Pentagon-controlled Iraqi security forces.
Read Smith's entire article and let me know whether you agree he has nailed the Bush administration.
By the way, one place I question Smith is that he refers to 14 permanent military camps. Other articles have said "14 enduring bases," which I think means military bases that can be used by the US to conduct military operations in the region around Iraq. Remember how much difficulty the US had in getting permission for bases and air space before the invasion of Iraq? I think Bush plans to avoid that difficulty for this entire region in the future. Please comment on the number of times you've seen or heard mention of these 14 enduring bases.